Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

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Scientology Exposed in Australia

An Australian television program did an expose on Scientology that featured a woman who told her story of how the church essentially imprisoned her on a cruise ship for years. The church denies it, of course, just as they have denied every story told by ex-Scientologists about the terrible things the group does.

Comments

If I was in that situation and finally got off the ship with an escort, I would have waited until there were other people in earshot and then started screaming for the police. It may not have worked – but there’s a good chance it would have.

And, right on cue, I see the Scientology anti-New-Yorker ad here on Dispatches.

I was wondering who was funding those. I kept seeing them and I was wondering who would take out such a silly ad? That wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Scientology always struck me as the kind of organization the many more of would spring up everywhere if the Libertarians somehow got their way. After all, she signed a contract that permits them to keep her imprisoned on a boat for the rest of her life! They are doing nothing wrong!

And it’s such a shame that every time another person clicks on that Scientology ad, a few more pennies of the money the Co$ has bilked out of people trickles down into the pockets of infidels like Ed….

I’ve been wondering about that ad. And why in the animated version, they include what appears to be a boob. Never paid any attention to the New Yorker, but if the Co$ hates it, there’s probably something worth reading in there.

That’s standard operating procedure for Co$. They don’t debate the theology, there are no Co$ apologists. They can’t debate it, because that would expose all the material they charge people for and it would be recognized for the utter nonsense it is. Going after critics through legal and illegal harassment is woven into their twisted theology. Unsurprising since the whole incoherent mess sprung from the deluded, drug-addled brain of L Ron himself.

I think the best Scientology coverage is done by the St. Petersburg Times, which has done numerous exposes on the “church” over the last several years. Scientology is a big deal around here. They practically own nearby Clearwater.

For those of you unfamilar with ‘Lateline’ it’s a late night (10:00pm) news and current affairs show run on the (government- run) Australian Broadcasting Corporation*, channel 2.
It’s Socialism I’s tells ya, Socialism! :)
Dingo
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* Like the CBC, modelled on the BBC.

@keithharwood:
According to several accounts, he was quite a heavy user of prescription antidepressants (all the while railing against psychiatrists and accusing them of wanting to poison people with pills, of course) and I’ve seen it argued that he died from an overdose.